Each week social media and news outlets report a story about a relatively small disagreement quickly going viral. Unfortunately, thousands of stories about social media fights going wrong still fail to discourage most people from doing the same, especially when they are in the middle of a bitter divorce. If you or someone close to you is going through a difficult break up or divorce, understanding why using social media to attack your ex usually backfires may help prevent a legal disaster.

Your Entire Private Life May Become Public

Out of anger, you may feel entitled to reveal an embarrassing piece of information about your ex in the hopes of gaining sympathy or just making yourself feel better about the situation. The problem with that course of action is that on social media you cannot always control the narrative. A former partner, a mutual friend, or someone who notices your post may chime in with information about you that you never planned to share with the public. An opportunity to shame your ex can quickly turn into an attack against you, and if you initiated the entire exchange, few will feel bad for you if things get too personal.

Posts Live on Forever

One thing the Internet has proved is that once something is published, it lives on forever. The ability to take screenshots, websites that automatically archive other sites, and even errors on social media platforms create an environment that make it almost impossible to delete things forever. Once you have posted something to attack your ex, it is possible that the post will continue to be distributed even after you have deleted it from your own account. Depending on the nature of the information, and how widely the information is distributed, you may face serious consequences even if everything you shared is completely true or verifiable.

Causes Serious Harm

Social media has become a staple in the daily lives of most people around the world, but many forget that social media platforms are still relatively new and the overall effect of these platforms is still being studied. Research has already indicated that social media can have a serious impact on the mental health and wellbeing of users. A combination of overconsumption and growing reliance can lead to a person becoming connected to his or her online persona while causing strangers to take that online reputation into more account than the real life information made available. Social media attacks have negatively impacted the mental health of some and destroyed the professional reputations of others.

Get Answers to Your Questions

If you are unsure of how your social media usage may affect your current or pending case, discussing your situation with a family law attorney is always recommended. An attorney who has seen the growing impact of social media on family court cases can answer your questions and help you determine the best course of action to take if you have already made statements on social media that you regret. The attorneys at Vayman & Teitelbaum understand that during the stress of a divorce, legal separation, custody battle, or dispute over assets, a person may be tempted to vent frustrations on his or her favorite social platform. Contact one of our Atlanta area locations today and schedule an appointment so that we can help you decide what is best for you and your unique legal situation.